Ricardo Johnson Biography


Photo: Ricardo Johnson

Ricardo R. Johnson is Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth and Government Programs for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), the Mid-Atlantic region's largest not-for-profit healthcare company. In his position, Ricardo leads a division focused on driving alignment throughout CareFirst to ensure the company is holistically meeting its mission of advancing accessible, affordable and equitable healthcare. Much of this is done through Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst, which invests in, supports and creates solutions to improve healthcare.  

Ricardo’s team incorporates overall Strategy, Marketing and Product, which sets priorities for the company and ensures we adequately serve our members and communities. Ricardo also leads the Company’s Government Markets Business (Medicare and Medicaid). This allows us to apply innovative solutions for our member populations that need us most. He drives the Company’s Care Delivery Operations and other special programs focused on increasing CareFirst’s influence in the consumer journey. All of this is done through the lens of fostering innovation at CareFirst to bring new solutions to healthcare’s toughest challenges.

Ricardo has a deep understanding of the healthcare industry—from product development and operations to strategy and business growth. Prior to his current position, Ricardo served in a variety of leadership roles at CareFirst. He began his career in the industry by practicing healthcare law and joined CareFirst in 2011 as Associate General Counsel. He then worked as the Special Assistant to the CEO of CareFirst, where he laid the groundwork for what would become Healthworx in 2018. 

Ricardo has served on a variety of professional and nonprofit boards throughout his career, including Mother Seton Academy, La Salle University and Central Scholarship. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. In 2023, Ricardo was named the newest commissioner for Maryland’s Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) by Governor Wes Moore. In this role, he and other commissioners oversee hospital payment rates for Maryland hospitals as well as Maryland’s Total Cost of Care Model.

Ricardo holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland and an undergraduate degree from La Salle University.